To improve the tracking of livestock and to facilitate DNA testing, tissue samples may be collected from animals. A tissue sample may be taken from an animal at any time and is often taken at the same time as placing an identification tag on the animal. The tissue sample is usually cut from an animal using a tissue sampling device and is placed in a storage container for laboratory analysis.
US patent publications US2011/0295148 and US2013/0204159 describe a tissue sampler in the shape of a clamp and comprising a pair of jaws that move toward each other to take a tissue sample. A cutting element is located in one of the jaws and is forced through an animal's ear, for example, to cut a plug of tissue from the ear as the jaws are clamped together using a first actuation action. A plunger is used to push the tissue sample out of the cutting element and into a storage tube held by the other jaw of the tissue sampler. The storage tube has a closed end and an opposing end. The tube comprises an aperture through which the tissue sample is pushed by the plunger. The plunger remains in the aperture of the storage tube cap to seal the tube before the tube is removed from the device and taken away for analysis.
After the storage tube is removed, the cutting element needs to be removed from the sampler because a different cutting element needs to be used for each tissue sample to prevent contamination of the tissue sample. The cutting element can be automatically ejected through a second actuation action of the sampler. The cutting element is then discarded onto the ground or into a refuse container. The cutting elements are sharp and so handling the cutting element carries a risk of being cut. Discarding the cutting element on the ground also carries this risk.
When the storage tube is removed for analysis, it is necessary for the cap of the storage tube (containing the plunger) to be removed before the tissue sample that has already been dispensed into the bottom of the tube can be extracted for analysis or being analysed in the tube. Because of the design of the tube and cap, each cap is removed individually in the laboratory, which is a time consuming and therefore costly process.
The sample, having been pushed into the bottom of the tube is also more exposed and hence subject to drying or contamination.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a biopsy sample handling method and related storage container that addresses the above disadvantages and/or that will at least provide the public with a useful choice.